Consumer Alerts

The DBO has been notified of a fraudulent banking website registered in Nigeria, with the address bluegateindustrialbank.com and company names BlueGate Industrial Bank USA N.A. and Blue Gate Industrial Bank. This entity is not licensed by the DBO or the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. It is not authorized by the DBO to conduct business as a bank in California. Consumers should not confuse this entity with the State-chartered “Blue Gate Bank,” in Costa Mesa, CA, which is licensed by the DBO.

The DBO urges consumers to exercise caution and do their homework before deciding to do business with banks or other financial service providers. To check whether a financial service provider is licensed in California, whether they have been subject to enforcement actions, or to file a complaint, consumers should go to the DBO website’s homepage at www.dbo.ca.gov.

The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) is now bigger and better! This cash-back credit is designed to put money in the pockets of low-income working families and individuals. Claiming this credit is easy. Eligible taxpayers just need to file a state tax return. The free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program assists low-income workers with filing federal tax returns. For more information, visit caleitc4me.org.